Marvel:
Ultimate Alliance was the kind of game that superhero fans dream about. You have
a solid storyline, wonderful graphics and cooperative gameplay with some of the
greatest superheroes in the Marvel Universe.
So when you
get ready to create a sequel, the onus is definitely on upping the ante.
Vicarious Visions and Activision have done just that with a solid storyline that
while featuring many of the gameplay elements as the original really pulls this
into a new light with the addition of new characters and powersets.
Yep, this
game is a ton of fun to play, whether as a single player, or in a cooperative
mission atmosphere online.
Iron Fist,
Deadpool, The Green Goblin, Venom – all are playable characters. Players can
also take the powersets of each playable character in a team of four and fuse
them together (fusion powers) for additional widespread carnage. For example,
the first team you are given embarks on a journey into Dr. Doom’s castle in
Latveria. The team is given guidance (well, he tells them what they need to do
and cajoles them when they are a bit slow) by Nick Fury – who is featured
prominently in the cut scenes as the game opens. The four-member black ops team
(they are, after all, trespassing on another nation’s sovereign soil) is
comprised of Iron Man, Captain America, Spider-man and Wolverine. When the group
is assaulted by a sea of mechanical sentries, Spidey can web up Wolverine, spin
in around and hurl him (think hammer toss in track and field terms) at the
biggest concentration of enemies. Once they go down, they don’t get back up.
It’s a fun and easy way to beat on the competition.
And that’s
just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to fusion powers. Each character can
team up with another to spark the powers, which generally fall into two
categories – follow or target.
While the
initial invasion of Doomstadt servers more or less as the tutorial (with plenty
of mini-boss characters to battle like Electro and the level ending battle with
the Tinkerer), the game’s main story kicks into gear thereafter.
After the
initial foray in Latveria, you are whisked back to Stark Towers in New York,
which serves at the hub for the rest of the game. Many things are available for
players to do in the tower, from review and replay missions to take on a new
assignment, to even participating in an online trivia contest.
The game
itself weaves a tale that will have players heading to a variety of locations,
each building momentum with mini-bosses along the way. Humor is injected into
the dialogue and there are dialogue choices to be made along the way while in
conversations with others. For example, you are sent to rescue Ms. Marvel and
upon completion, she asks that you help move forward with the recon of the
underground tunnels (the overtones here are of cybernetic enhancements to
soldiers, mostly of the bad-guy variety). You can go offensive, diplomatic or
defensive. The latter is more often than not the precursor to ending the
conversation.
Collectibles
abound in the game and there are overriding mission goals as well as several
sub-missions as you move through the levels. All in all it adds up to a robust
game experience.
Visually the
game is what one would hope from from a comic-book based game. The character
details are very nicely done, the effects are handled very well. The camera gets
hung up occasionally, and at other times can get too far from the main action
(this mostly happens when your team is separated and the camera pulls back to
show everyone. The voice acting for the game is also very well done. The
characters often spout lines that are linked to their character and history. For
example, Wolverine (always a favorite in Marvel games) will reference his
‘Canadian’ heritage.
MUA 2 does
not reinvent the wheel in terms of gameplay. The AI is still pretty good, the
environments are somewhat interactive and the online elements are solid. What
this game does bring into play are the great cast of characters (24), solid
fights (if too easy, up the difficulty ante and experience battles that are sure
to give your controller fingers a workout), and nice eye candy. The SIXAXIS
controller gets a bit of a nod in the control scheme when you grab the shield an
opponent is using and rip it from him. Square button is grab, then flick the
controller to yank it away.
This is, by
no means, a perfect game, but it is a good one with lots to do, solid
replayability and a nice foray into the Marvel universe.
|
|
Gameplay: 8.5
The formula
works, from the slick player interface to the way the missions are run.
Graphics: 8.7
Some camera
hang-ups or zooming out creates a few awkward moments, but the special effects,
character details and combat animation are all nicely handled.
Sound: 8.5
The musical score
is solid and the vocal characterizations work well in the game.
Difficulty: Medium
Concept: 8.2
Nothing totally
new here in regards to the game mechanics, but the extra characters as well as
the fusion powers provide some very cool moments.
Multiplayer: N/A
Online play will
be available when the retail launches. Trying to get into a game with the disk
provided did not yield up any matches. The game does not allow for multiplayer
on the same console – at least in the version received, a second controller
plugged in was not recognized.
Overall: 8.7
A solid follow-up
to the 2006 release, with great new characters and fusion powers. The game looks
very nice and plays well.
